Guide for Reuse, Repair, Recycling, and Safe Disposal
for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City of Palo Alto
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Household Batteries

Batteries - Household - Single-Use

Primary/Single-Use batteries cannot be recharged and must be disposed of once they wear out. Alkaline, lithium, silver oxide, zinc-air, zinc-carbon, and zinc-chloride are all types of primary batteries.

Household Hazardous Waste

This item should never be put in a curbside bin. For more information visit our household hazardous waste page.

Use the Call2Recycle Battery Drop-off Location Finder for single-use, rechargeable, e-bike, and high energy batteries and cellphones.

Learn more about Lithium Ion batteries and their safe disposal from the EPA.

Vendors

Vendor Address City Destination Disposal Method Notes
CVS Pharmacy 855 El Camino Real Palo Alto Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Hassett Ace Hardware 875 Alma Street Palo Alto Safe Disposal Free Drop-off
Creative Paint (5435 Geary) 5435 Geary Blvd. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off All household-type, laptop, cell phone, and rechargeable batteries accepted. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
Central Contra Costa HHW Collection Facility 4797 Imhoff Pl. Martinez Recycle Free Drop-off
Staples (San Ramon) 2710 Crow Canyon Rd. San Ramon Recycle Free Drop-off
E-Waste & Solar Recycling Center/Recycle1234 (ASI Cyber Concepts) 30311 Whipple Rd Union City Recycle Drop-off for a Fee
Walgreens 1175 Columbus Ave. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off All household-type, laptop, cell phone, and rechargeable batteries accepted. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Oakland Facility) 2100 East 7th Street Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off  Note: Swollen Li-ion batteries accepted. If it’s leaking, contact hhw@acgov.org.
Alameda Municipal Power 2000 Grand St Alameda Recycle Free Drop-off No large quantities.
Walgreens 1899 Fillmore St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Standard Plumbing 144 Clement St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off All household-type, laptop, cell phone, and rechargeable batteries accepted. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
Walgreens 745 Clement St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Walgreens 33 Drumm St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Discount Builders Supply 1695 Mission St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off All household-type, laptop, cell phone, and rechargeable batteries accepted. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
Central Contra Costa Household Battery Recycling Program Recycle Free Drop-off
Staples (Pleasant Hill) 2120 Crescent Dr. Pleasant Hill Recycle Free Drop-off
Sports Basement (Redwood City) 202 Walnut St Redwood City Recycle Free Drop-off No lithium batteries
Decathlon 735 Market Street San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off All household-type, laptop, cell phone, and rechargeable batteries accepted. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
Alameda County Household Hazardous Waste Program (Livermore Facility) 5584 La Ribera Street Livermore Recycle Free Drop-off  Note: Swollen Li-ion batteries accepted. If it’s leaking, contact hhw@acgov.org.
Republic Services Recycling Service Center (Fremont Residents) 42600 Boyce Rd. Fremont Recycle Free Drop-off

Curbside Service

Special Action Note
Alameda
Residents may place household batteries (A, AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt) in a sealed, clear zipper-style plastic bag and put it on top of (not inside) the recyclable materials cart. Please tape terminals on batteries. (No car batteries allowed.)
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Albany
Put batteries in a clear plastic bag, seal it shut and place on the top of the recyclables cart.
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Berkeley
Castro Valley Sanitary District
Single-family and multi-family residents with blue recycling cart service may participate in CVSan’s curbside battery recycling program by placing used dry cell batteries (household batteries such as AAA, AA, B, C, D, 9V, and small “button” batteries) in a sealed clear plastic bag on top of your blue recycling cart on your service day. No automotive, lithium-ion or liquid batteries are accepted. Please tape terminals on 9-volt batteries.
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Dublin
Single Family Residents. Place used batteries on top of your recycle cart in a clear plastic bag.
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Emeryville
Emeryville accepts this item for curbside pickup, but don't put them in your carts or bins. Cart customers: place in sealed, zip bag taped to lid of recycling cart. Emeryville bin customers call to order mail-back collection container: 510-613-8710.
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Fremont
Hayward
Single Family Service - Household batteries can be put into a sealed clear bag & placed next to the Recycling cart on collection day. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
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Hayward (Oro Loma - L2)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Livermore
Single Family Service - Household batteries can be put into a sealed clear bag & placed on top of the Recycling cart on collection day. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
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Newark
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Oakland
Residents. Put household dry-cell batteries in a clear, sealed bag on top of recycling cart by 6am on your regular recycling pickup date. Always tape ends of batteries to avoid contact. Bag button-cell and NiCd batteries in a bag separate from alkaline batteries. Do not include rechargeable batteries.
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Piedmont
Place in Ziploc bag on top of the recycling cart. Also accepted at the Piedmont Fire Station for recycling.
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Pleasanton
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart. No rechargeable batteries allowed (ex. lithium ion).
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San Leandro
Bag batteries in clear bag and put on top of Recycling cart.
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San Leandro (Oro Loma - L3)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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San Lorenzo (Oro Loma)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Unincorporated Oro Loma (L1)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Union City
Single Family & Parcelized Multifamily Dwellings: Put in clear, sealed bag next to recycling cart.
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RE:Source is an online directory for reuse, repair and proper disposal options for the California East Bay area and Palo Alto. Our goal is to connect you with the best options for what you need to get rid of or repair. Please note that we do not accept any items directly.

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